The present invention is directed to a chemical or processing solution delivery system, which may be used in a photographic processor.
Photographic processors come in a variety of shapes and sizes from large wholesale photographic processors to small micro-labs. As photographic processors become more and more technologically sophisticated, there is a continued need to make the photographic processor as user-friendly and as maintenance-free as possible.
Currently available photographic processors have one or more of the following shortcomings: (1) the film processing time is relatively long; (2) some photographic processors, because of their size, require a large amount of space; (3) some photographic processors may require an unacceptable amount of developing solution due to the design of the processing tank, and (4) some photographic processors generate an unacceptable amount of processing solution waste due to the design of the processing tank.
One component of photographic processors is a chemical or processing solution delivery system, which provides processing fluids for processing a roll of photographic film. Some conventional chemical delivery systems have one or more of the following shortcomings: (1) the chemical delivery time is unacceptably long due to (a) a processing fluid dilution step, (b) undesirably long heating times, (c) low volumetric flow into or out of the processing drum or reactor, or (d) a combination thereof; (2) some chemical delivery systems, because of their size, require a large amount of space; (3) some chemical delivery systems require an external water source to dilute the concentration of the chemicals used in the chemical delivery system; and (4) some chemical delivery systems require a drain or sewer drain for removal of the processing fluids from the processor.
Furthermore, in a processor such as that disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/027,382 filed Dec. 21, 2001, the processing times tend to be short. In processors with short processing times, an operator has to make sure that there are no residual chemicals left in the chemical delivery tubes of the processors, since these residual chemicals tend to be a cause of contamination. As an example, one drop of residual fix chemical in a processor with a short processing time and low chemical usage can contaminate a follow-up developer solution.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a chemical or processing solution delivery system, which may be used in a photographic processor and minimizes contamination due to residual chemicals. The present invention is further directed to a process of delivering chemicals or processing solution to a photographic processor using the delivery system.
Therefore, the present invention provides for a processing solution or chemical delivery system which is designed in a manner which facilitates the washing of residual processing solution from components of the delivery system and processor, and minimizes the contamination of later delivered processing solution.
The chemical or processing solution delivery system of the present invention utilizes a manifold having an inclined or slanted path. The manifold provides a fluid connection between chambers which hold the processing solution and an associated processor, and is designed in such a way that the last processing solution of a processing cycle is a wash solution which completely cleans the manifold, to prevent any chance of contamination.
The present invention accordingly provides for a chemical or processing solution delivery system for a photographic processor which comprises a plurality of chambers, with each of the chambers being adapted to hold a distinct processing solution therein; and a manifold fluidly connected to the plurality of chambers, with the manifold having an inclined or slanted solution passageway and a plurality of manifold bores spaced along the inclined solution passageway. Each of the manifold bores extend from a chamber outlet of a respective chamber to the inclined solution passageway. The inclined solution passageway has a closed end at an upper part of the inclined passageway and a manifold outlet at a lower part of the inclined passageway, such that the solution flows in a direction from the upper part to the lower part of the inclined passageway. A first one of the plurality of chambers is adapted to hold a wash solution and deliver the wash solution to a first manifold bore of the plurality of manifold bores that is located at the upper part of the inclined passageway, so that the wash solution travels along substantially an entire length of the inclined passageway from the upper part to the manifold outlet. The delivery system of the present invention further comprises a supply tube that is fluidly connected to the inclined solution passageway and is located at the manifold outlet of the inclined solution passageway to lead the processing solution to an associated processor.
The present invention further provides for a processing solution delivery system for a processor which comprises a first solution flow path having a first length, with the first solution flow path extending from a first chamber adapted to hold washing solution therein to a processor; a second solution flow path having a second length shorter than the first length, with the second solution flow path extending from a second chamber adapted to hold a developer solution therein to the processor; a third solution flow path having a third length shorter than second length, with the third solution flow path extending from a third chamber adapted to hold one of a fixed solution or a bleach solution therein to the processor; and a fourth solution flow path having a fourth length shorter than the third length, with the fourth solution flow path extending from a fourth chamber adapted to hold the other of the fixed solution or the bleach solution therein to the processor.
The present invention further relates to a processing solution delivery system for a processor which comprises a plurality of chambers, with each of the chambers holding a distinct processing solution therein; and a manifold which provides a fluid connection between each of the plurality chambers and an associated processor for delivering processing solution to the associated processor. The manifold comprises an inclined path which includes an upper end and a lower end. Each of the plurality of chambers is adapted to deliver processing solution to different points along the inclined path of the manifold.
The present invention further relates to a photofinishing arrangement which comprises a processor that is adapted to process photographic film; and a processing solution delivery system adapted to deliver processing solution to the processor. The processing solution delivery system comprises a plurality of chambers which are each adapted to hold a distinct processing solution therein; and a manifold fluidly connected to the plurality of chambers. The manifold has an inclined solution passageway and a plurality of manifold bores spaced along the inclined solution passageway. A first one of the plurality of chambers is adapted to hold a wash solution and deliver the wash solution to a first manifold bore of the plurality of manifold bores that is located at an upper part of the inclined passageway, so that the wash solution flows along an entire length of the inclined passageway from a closed end at the upper part of the inclined passageway to an opening at a lower part of the inclined passageway. The processing solution delivery system further comprises a supply tube fluidly connected to the inclined solution passageway and located at the open end of the inclined solution passageway to lead processing solution to the processor.
The present invention further relates to a method of delivering processing solution to a processor which comprises the steps of delivering a developer solution to a first inlet bore located on an inclined path provided within a manifold, with the manifold providing a fluid connection to a processor, such that the developer solution flows within the inclined path in a solution flow direction from the first inlet bore to an outlet located at a lower end of the inclined path; delivering one of a fixed solution or a bleach solution to a second inlet bore located on the inclined path, with the second inlet bore being spaced from the first inlet bore and being located downstream of the first inlet bore with respect to the solution flow direction, such that the one of the fixed solution or bleach solution flows within the inclined path from the second inlet bore to the outlet located at the lower end of the inclined path; delivering the other of the fixed solution or the bleach solution to a third inlet bore located on the inclined path, with the third inlet bore being spaced from the second inlet bore and being located downstream of the second inlet bore with respect to the solution flow direction, such that the other of the fixed solution or the bleach solution flows within the inclined path from the third inlet bore to the outlet; and delivering a wash solution to a fourth inlet bore located at an upper end of the inclined path, with the fourth inlet bore being spaced from the first inlet bore and being located upstream of the first inlet bore with respect to the solution flow direction, such that the wash solution flows within the inclined path from the fourth inlet bore to the outlet located at the lower end of the inclined path, with the wash solution traveling past all of the first, second and third inlet bores along substantially an entire length of the inclined path.
The present invention further relates to a method of processing photographic material which comprises the steps of delivering distinct processing solutions during a processing cycle to different inlets which are spaced along an inclined path, such that the processing solutions flow within the inclined path to an outlet at the lower end of the inclined path; and leading the distinct processing solutions from the outlet of the inclined path to a processor for processing photographic material. In the method of the present invention, a last delivered solution of the processing solutions in the processing cycle is a wash solution. The method further comprises the step of delivering the wash solution to an uppermost inlet of the inlets of the inclined path to clean at least the inclined path and components of the processor at the end of the processing cycle.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and the appended claims.